The COAST/NAACP anti-streetcar petition crew is causing all sorts of debauchery and grabbing headlines for its attempt to garner support for a sweeping, all-inclusive anti-rail ballot initiative. And it is exhausting.

Hamilton County Board of Elections Executive Director Sally Krisel calls it the most common election-day problem: “We have to strictly follow the 100-foot rule.”

Election law prohibits protesters, proponents and campaigning volunteers from setting up signs or handing out information within 100 feet of a polling place. The rule, Krisel explains, is enforced by the volunteer staff at the polling sites.

With two weeks left until Election Day, the Cincinnati Women’s Political Caucus has issued a mass mailing informing voters about its endorsed candidates this year for City Council, mayor and school board.

Although it’s no surprise that City Council’s right-leaning minority — Republicans Leslie Ghiz and Chris Monzel, Charterite Chris Bortz and Democrat-in-exile Jeff Berding — didn’t win the organization’s endorsement given their past statements about women’s reproductive rights, two moderate Democrats who are incumbents also didn’t make the cut.

Interviews will be held Monday to screen the candidates interested in filling the remainder of John Cranley’s term on Cincinnati City Council. Facing term limits, the longtime Democratic councilman resigned Thursday to ponder the next step in his political career as he works as an attorney.

The Hyde Park resident was the recommended choice of the Hamilton County Republican Party's Committee on Nominations and Candidate Development to replace Chris Monzel on Cincinnati City Council. Monzel left half-way through his council term Friday to serve on the Hamilton County Commission.

Although she’s no longer a TV news reporter, maybe Laure Quinlivan still isn’t used to not having fact-checkers around to provide backup.

Quinlivan, a former reporter with WCPO-TV’s I-Team who is now running as a Democrat for Cincinnati City Council, distributed an e-mail Wednesday in Democratic circles seeking volunteers for upcoming campaign events. Given the targeted audience, however, Quinlivan might have wanted to pay closer attention to her spelling.

One local blog has heard rumors that Dr. Brad Wenstrup, the GOP mayoral candidate, is backing away from remarks he made about the Cincinnati Police Department while on the campaign trail. Instead, Wenstrup or his surrogates are allegedly blaming the blog for inaccurate reporting.

Jeff Cramerding, the longtime executive director of the Charter Committee, quietly resigned from that position on Sept. 2 to become a full-time campaign consultant. Cramerding was hired by Charter — Cincinnati’s unofficial third political party — in December 2000.